Cutting myself a break - By Ronnie O'Sullivan

'Rocket' reveals how he got his demons under control in book

- HANNAH STEPHENSON

After a life that's proven almost as colourful away from the snooker table as on it, recovering addict Ronnie "The Rocket" O'Sullivan reckons he has found some balance.

"I'm less intense," says the seven-time world champion. "I've not mellowed in that I've changed my personality, but I've learned to just not take myself too seriously. I'm much more philosophical." At 47, he's been at the top of his game for longer than many of his peers.

Yet it wasn't an easy start for the former bad boy of snooker.

His dad was jailed for murder when Ronnie was 16, and he had problems with drugs, alcohol and depression.

He has overcome periods of self-doubt, only to come back stronger than ever.

His struggles with severe anxiety and "snooker depression" are charted in his latest book, Unbreakable.

These days, he runs, paints and sticks with people he considers to be true friends, far away from the celebrity circuit.

He has a good relationship with his parents, who are divorced - Ron Sr was freed in 2010 after serving 18 years-and has been with his partner Holby City actress Laila Rouass, 47, for a decade, although they briefly split last year.

"It's good," he says of their relationship, smiling. "She's great. I love her. She's great company and I love being around her.

"She's very supportive. I have to behave myself. I know when to go, All right, you're in charge. But she's also really good at going, 'Listen, you've got a busy life, you've got a lot to do, just get on with it'.

"Now it feels a lot better everyone's just in a better place.